Vehicles



(N M'd 1.)

e o. J. DEPP su s. J. MUNN.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING DEVICBPOR MOVING VBHIGLES. No. 443,074.

Patented Dec. 16,1890.

W/Tf/ESSES Ya@ @.MJU.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

O'lIS J. DEFIv AND SCHUYLER J. MUNN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-FOURTH TO PETER M. KLING, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING DEVICE FOR MOVING VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters atent No. 443,074, dated December 16, 1890.

Application filed August 4, 1890x Serial No. 360,947. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that we, OTIs J. DEPP and SCHUYLER J. MUNN, both of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signaling Devices for Moving Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in electric signaling devices for moving vehicles; and it consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and designated in the claims.

In t-he drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of an electric car having our device applied thereto. longitudinal section of a switch-.handle commonly employed on electric cars, within which is placed the device for making and breaking the circuit. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the electric bell employed for this purpose. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the detachable connecting-block containing the electrical Wires, or terminals thereof. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a series of plugs attached to the terminal ends of the Wires located below the floor of the vehicle, to which the block containing the wires is electrically connected. Fig. 6 is a perspective view ot a terminal end of a wire and cups used in connection therewith for forming a ilexible connection to the electric bell, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same attached or forming an electrical connection.

The object of our invention is to attach to the ordinary electrical cars now in use a brake or other handle carrying a push-button, an electrical attachment or device which is simple in construction, the electrical wires of which lead to the switch-box located upon each end of the car, terminating atthat point, but adapted to be electrically connected to a second set of wires carried by the switchhandle.

The electricity is supplied to the device from the main current or trolley wire, or other suitable source, and by a push-button andl proper devices located within the switch or Fig. 2 is a vertical brake handle the current of electricity is controlled at the will of the operator and within easy reach of him, making and breaking the said current of electricity through an elecv tric alarm located at any convenient position on the car.

Referring to the drawings, l represents a railway-car having our improvements applied thereto.

2 2 are two switch-boxes, and 3 the switchhandle commonly employed tor controlling or reversing the current on the car.

Below the floor oi' the vehicle are arranged ve wires or conductors, the ends of which terminate at the switch-boxes 2, located at each end of the said vehicle, and to said ends are attached any well-known mechanical connection, such as plugs 53, for the purpose of forming an electrical connection with the wires carried by the switch-handle.

4, 5, and 6 represent three circuit-wires located below the iloor ofthe car, having branch wires 7, S, and 9 leading upward through the roof of the said car and connected to an electric alarm 10, located on the said roof and in contact with the open air.

1l represents the line or main wire for supplying electricity to the car for all purposes necessary, and to this wire is connected, by means of an ordinary trolley S5 or otherwise, a branch wire l2, leading downward and connected to one of the live wires located below the floor ot the ear and designated 18, which supplies the current of electricity to the device. The current. supplied by the wire 12 for operating the bell is entirely independent of that used by the motors for driving the vehicle.

Any well-known resistance 13X, such as a rheostatshunt or any suitable number oi lamp-circuits, may be connected to the branch Wire 12 in order to reduce the intensity of the current, which it not employed would burn out the delicate parts of the device.

14 represents the ground-wire, also located below the floor of the car and connected to the trucks of the same by branch wires l5, which conduct the electricity and carry the same into the ground.

In this device we use a three-line circuit, and by such use an electric bell of well-known IOO construct-ion will not answer the purpose, and consequently a bellconstructed as hereinafter described is absolutely necessary to carry out the desired effect.

The bell 10 is provided with the ordinary gongs, electro-magnets, armature, and clapper, allof which are com mon in electric bells, proper operative insulations and connections being provided. The improvement in the electric bell consists of a bracket 1G, having a projecting arm 17, which forms a bearing for the short vibrating level' 1S, which operates in conjunction with the armature 1S). By this construction the movement of the armature causes a corresponding but increased movement of the contact-breaker. The lever 18 is provided at its lower end with a cap 20, and within said cap is removably and adjustably secured a point 2l, of suitable material, by means of a set-screw 22, the upper end of said lever extending above the projecting arm 17, and being connected at that point to a link 23, of non-conducting material, which forms a connection with the vibrating armature. To the vibrating armature or stem thereof 24 is secured a clip 525, to which the link 23 is attached, connecting the said vibrating lever to the said armature and thereby forming what we may term a compoundlever circuit-breaker. 'lwo tlat springs 2G 26, of silica-bronze, are secured to the top of the bell-casing by means of nuts 27, by which means the clapper is normally held out of contact with either of the gongs, and permits said gongs to sound in a clearer manner than they would if said clapper rested in contact with them, which is understood. An adjusting-screw 2S is fastened to the lower end of bracket 1G for adjusting the tension of the armaturespring 2U, the same spring being insulated from said screw by non-conducting material 30. The material used for the contact-point 21 is preferably ol silica-bronze, which we have found by experiment to be best suited for this purpose, the hammering action on the armature being quite heavy owing to the long stroke of the point.

The switch-handle 3 (or it maybe an ordinary brake-handle) is provided with a suitable vertical centrally-located bore to receive the push-button connections, which consist of a button located at the extreme upper end of said handle, and such connections that when the button is in an elevated adjustment, as shown, no vibration of the bell-armature will occur.

32 indicates a vertical rod, the upper end of which carries the button 33, which when pressed down will be on a plane with the upper end of the handle. To the lower end of rod 32 is attached a bar of insulating lmaterial 34, which is adapted to be slid up and down by the said rod, and so operated by the coil-spring 35, encircling thc said vertical rod and interposed between the button and a seat formed in the said handle, as to normally rest at the limit of its upward movement.

250 and 55T represent two contact-screws located at the lower end of the non-conducting bar 3i, extending through the same, the faces of which are in alignment with theinner surface of the non-conducting material, the outer or proj ectin ends of which are provided with nuts by means of which the electrical wires 3S and 30 are clamped '[irn'ily and electrically connected therewith.

A copper box -10 is lirmly secured within the bore formed in the switch-handle 3, and within the same is fastened a barof nonconducting material il, of sufficient length to receive the remaining wires. lVithin the noneonducting piece of material vll is secured three screws 42, i3, and it, and to the said screws are fastened in the well-known manner three wires 45, 4G, and 17, the screw 44, carrying the wire i7, passing also through the box l0, constructed ot' copper or other conducting material.

The five wires 3S, 3l), i5, to', and Ll?, connected to the circuit-controlling device, lead downward from the same and through the switch-handle, the opposite ends of which terminate in a block 48, constructed of noncon ducting material, separating the same at that point and insulating them from one another.

The block it of non-conducting material is sulticiently bored to receive live thimbles 49, corresponding to the number of wires, the said wires terminating atthat point and electrically connected therewith. The thimbles 49 are so constructed that they will receive the plugs 5S, attached to the terminal ends of the wires arranged below the l'loerof the car, and when united, as shown in Fig. l, an electrical connection is formed. (See also right-hand end.) One of the thimbles Wis made some- ICD what larger than the others, as shown in Fig.

li, for the purpose of enabling the operator to reattach the wires in the same manner or order as before, in case it should have been necessary to detach them.

lVhenthe circuit-controlling device is properly connected to the wires located under the licor of the car, the wires leading from the said circuit-controlling device will be connected, as below described. The three circuit-wires l, 5, and (5 will be connected to the wires if, 116, and t7, the main wire 13 will be connected to the wire 239, and the ground wire l1- electrically connected to the wire .38, leading from the switch-handle The two wires located within the switch-handle and connected to the cireuit-controlling device and numbered 25S and 39 may be coiled within the switch-handle, by means of which the same will give sufficiently when the section 34 of the said deviceis moved in making and breaking the current of electricity.

Ithas been found desirable to form ahinged connection at the terminal ends of the wires 7, S, and 9, where they are attached to the electric bell, owing' to the movement of the car and the continual vibration of the same,

causing the said wires to break at that point and thereby cause more or less delay. Our improvement in this respect consists in bending the wires at their terminal ends and inserting the said bends in two cups 50 50, each of which is provided with recesses 51 51 for the admission of thesaid wires. Holes 52 52 are formed in the center of the cups 50, by means of which the said cups may be fastened to the projecting bolts leading from the bell-frame. This device is best illustrated in Fig. 7.

Vhen the push-button is in its normal p0- sition, as shown in Fig. 2, the wire 47 is cut out of the circuit and the electricity directed to the ground through the wires 38 and 14 without having operated the bell, as hereinafter more particularly described. When the pushbutton is pushed in, the current of electricity is completed, cutting out the wires 9 and 45, causing the circuit-breaker located in the electric bell to move backward and forward by alternately attracting and releasing the armature, and causing the clapper to vibrate and beat against the gongs.

Having fully described our invention in detail we will now proceed to trace the current through the electric bell in both positions of the push-button 33. iVhen the button 33 is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, the current from the ordinarytrolley-wire 11 will pass from the same by the wire 12 to the horizontal wire 13, located below the floor of the vehicle, and thence through proper electrical connections (which have previously been described) to the wire 39` carried by the switchhandle. The current then passes through the wire 46 to another horizontal wire 5, as shown in Fig. 1, then to the branch wire 3, then to the binding-post 67, attached to the frame, but insulated therefrom by proper insulation 60, thence through a coil-wire 61, which is connected to the magnet G2, through which the current passes, and thence to the coil of Wire (i3, the. end of which is soldered or otherwise electrically connected to the bracket 16. Thence the currentis carried to the uppermost binding-post 64, which is also insulated from the frameor casing 10 by suitable insulation 65. To this binding-post, upon the exterior of the casing, is attached a wire 9,leading downward and connected to the horizontal wire 6, through which wire the current is conducted to the wire 45, located within the switch-handle, thence to wire 3S, also located within the sam'e, to the horizontal wire 14 and its branches 15 to earth by way of the car-wheels, in the well-known manner. In the normal position of the push-button 33 the wires 7, 4, v. and 47 are cut entirely out of circuit, as willbe fully seen by the inspection of the drawings. Then the push-button 33 is depressed, the current from the trolley-wire 11 will pass from the same by the wire 12 to the horizontal wire 13,located below the iioor of the vehicle, then through proper electrical connections 53 and 49 to wire 39, located within the switch-handle, and by means of the binding-post 37 is conducted to the binding-post 44, thence to wire 47, thence to the horizontal wire located below the loor of the vehicle, thence to the branch wire 7, and thence to the binding-post 66, which post is in electrical contact with the casing 10, which casing serves to conduct the current. The current then passes from the casing through the coil of wire to the armature 19, then to the silica-bronze point 21, thence to the contact device 13, and thence to the bracket 16, thence to the coil or wire- 63, which is connected to the magnet 62, and thence is carried by the wire 61 to the binding-post 67, which is, as previously described, insulated from the casing 10. The current is conducted from said post 67 by the Awire 3 to the horizontal wire 5, located below the iioor of the vehicle, thence to the wire 46, thence to binding-post 43 in the handle, which post is now in electrical contact with the binding-post 36, and the current passes through both posts, thence to vertical wire 38. From thence the current passes to horizontal wire 14, (which is commonly called the groundwire,) thence to branches 15, and thence is conducted to earth through the trucks and wheels of the vehicle. is depressed, the wires 9, 6, and 45 are cut out.

It is clear that we may use either the main circuit (the current of which drives the motors on an electric car) or we may, as we here show, use a shunt-circuit for the purpose of operating the bell.

Our invention (atleast the switch or brake handle provided with an electric push-button) may be applied to ordinary horse-cars or to cable cars for the purpose of sounding an alarm without the `driver letting go his controllinghandle. This, also, should be clear, because we may locate an ordinary cell-battery 54 at any place on the car and use the same wires that We here show for the connections, (but diterently arranged.)

Having fully described our invention, what we claim is- A l. An electric signaling device for moving vehicles, consisting of a circuit-controlling device located within the brake or switch handle of acar, an electric bell located on the said vehicle, a three-line circuit connecting the said bell with the said circuit-controlling device, and means whereby electricity is supplied to the said wires from the trolley or main line, substantially as described.

2. An electric signaling device for moving vehicles, consisting of a circuit-controlling device located within the switch-handle of an electric car, an electric bell carried upon said car and provided with a bracket, a circuit-breaker hung in the said bracket and having a contact-point, a link of non-conducting material connected to theupper end of the said circuit-breaker and to the armature, and suitable conductors connecting the said electric bell with the said circuit-controlling device, substantially as described.

3. An electric signaling device for moving vehicles, consisting of an electric bell located When the button 33 IOO IIO

upon the said vehicle, three circuit-wires attached to the said bell, a wire for supplving electricity to the same, a circuit-controlling device located within the switch-handle, to which the wires are connected, and an additional or ground wire, also attached io the said circuit-controlling device and con nected to any suitable portion oi' the car for conducting the current to earth, substantially as described.

4. In an electric bell, an electro-magnet and its armature, in combination with a pivoted lever constituting a circuit-breaker ad jaeent to said armature, means tor connecting'the short arm of said lever to the armature, a contact-point carried by the long arm ot the lcvcr and normally bearing against the armature, and electrical connections between said magnet, armature, and lever, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5. In an electric bell, an electro-magnet and its armature, in combination with a pivoted lever carrying a contact-piece and constituting a circuit-breaker, said lever having one arm of greater length than the other, and means for connecting said circuit-breaker and armature, whereby the vibratory movement of the latter will cause a corresponding but Aincreased movement of the formerat the point carrying the contact-piece, substantially as described.

G. In an electric bell, an electro-magnetand its armature, in combination with a pivoted lever constituting' a circuit-breaker, an instr lating link-connection between the armature and the short arm ot the lever, an adjustable contact-piece of silica-bronze carried by the long arm of the lever and normally bearing against the armature, and electrical connections between said magnet, armature, and lever, substantially as described.

7. In an electric bell, an electro-magnet and its armature, a bracket 16, adjacent thereto, a lever constituting a circuit-breaker pivoted at a point removed from its center to the said bracket and electrically connected therewith, a link of non-conducting material connecting the short arm of said lever with a clip sccured to the armature, and an adjustable contactpiece carried by the long arm of said lever and normally having electrical connection with the armature, in combination with a main circuit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We affix our sign at u rcs in presence of two witnesses.

OTIS J. DEFI. SCHUYLER J. MUNN.

Witnesses:

C. l. KEELER, C. K. JoNus. 

